After All
by Befantastic
Summary: The end of the perfect romance. The beginning of a perfect life. The realization of something awesome.


**New Taylor Swift, equals new oneshots**

* * *

"_And darling it was good, never looking down. And right there where we stood. Was holy ground." _

_-_Holy Ground, Taylor Swift

When she met Josh Hotz in the 10th grade, Kristen Gregory was lured in by the way his blue sweater contrasted his tan skin, and how whenever he was around his little group of friends, there was a huge toothy smile. He was one of the good ones, she was sure of it. She got to know that.

Their relationship was lovely and magical, in the way everything seems for a sixteen year old girl. It's conception at Slice of Heaven, where she got a pizza with pepperoni asking her out. And the jealous glares of every girl in the room. Kristen felt like her relationship was golden, not scattered with the dirty gossip and heated fights that most her friends were facing. They had a romance thick with "You're beautiful's" and "I'm so lucky that you're mine."

Untouchable, unbreakable.

Sickening, if you were Kristen's friends, who found the pair to be greatly match, but too much for a young couple.

But they got older, and moved on to college. And the next thing she knew she was moving things into a tiny shoebox apartment and trying to find the perfect bed spread for their full bed and matching gender neutral towels. Kristen was living the life she only knew through posts from older friends on timelines, romance novels and romantic comedies. She was that girl. The one who had dinner parties, and late night study sessions. The ones who joked that they'd never want to get married this young, but truly hoped it would come to fruition.

Yes, at age 20, Kristen Gregory wanted nothing more than a pretty diamond on her finger. And she knew it scared the living hell out of Josh. She knew, she hoped, that he loved her. But she could tell, that the idea of forever being with Kristen was starting to seem unreal, and terrifying.

Yet, still he did it. On graduation day, he knelt down at their favorite restaurant, Slice of Heaven, and opened the box with a ring that, was expectable for the time being. And she did the typical squeal of excitement and showed the new jewelry piece to all that cared.

Kristen was faking it. The plastered smile on her face, and getting bored to tears at the idea of wedding plans. With every "I can't wait." and "This is a dream come true." She was lying. The worse, aspect was her fading attraction and interest in Josh Hotz. The boy who made her all starry eyed and giggly, was running out of surprises, and compliments, and secrets to learn. And when those special rare moments happened, Kristen's mind couldn't help but reminisce of happier lighter days, before being rudely reminded that the magic was gone.

During late and sleepless nights, the young twenty something felt cold laying next to Josh. It was scary because he was all she knew, and there was so much time spent. So many good times.

It was sad and it sucked. As she would lie in that bed and wonder if she ended this would even they remain friends? There was no way things would ever be the same, as they grew apart.

But she couldn't bring herself to speak to him. To end the something that was great that was perfect. But it was impossible with a wedding that expected to take place, and an apartment that she had to return to at night. A beautiful face she had to lie to.

So after much deliberation, and conversations with her mother, Kristen confronted Josh in a small voice, and told him "I love you. But not in the way I should." He looked at her with a weak smile and nodded in some sort of agreement.

"I'll move." he said. "And you can keep the ring."

"Thanks."

"I get it. You aren't ready. You will be one day. Maybe not me, but someone."

Even as she told her that the mass majority of his young adulthood, had been wasted, Josh Hotz was still a prince charming, it even made her heart flutter. But it was only for a moment, and she was quickly washed over with a sense of relief.

The moment was bitter sweet and as slowly his things disappeared and she told people there wasn't going to be a wedding. And she took of the ring that had adorn her dainty finger for a year. Kristen felt bare, but not broken. It was weird to no longer be in a relationship, but not feel like things were falling apart. Not crying and weeping on the bathroom floor like her best friends did.

Occasionally, the girl would drive through her old hometown and see all the places they used to frequent and every memory would slip into her mind. The homecoming dinners, or SAT breakfasts that they had at the diner. The movie theater of their first date. Her childhood home was the worse. It was glittered with images of first kisses and teasing fights. The first "I love you."

But nothing compared to that one special restaurant on the one were they were brought together for the first time, the one that started their demise. It had her favorite pizza and during the worst days of her life she could count on going there and being brought back to every awesome thing that ever happened in her life.

Because even though they burnt out, and even though they both moved on, and saw each other in flashes of favorite shirts, and sweaters. While they only spoke in quiet whispers of hello, but still gave huge hugs. Kristen was fully aware that her relationship with Josh Hotz was still amazing and perfect. But far to soon. She wished that she could of taken a slower route, and maybe have more pizza nights. Yet, what they shared, was the epitome of greatness, and she hoped that one day, she'd fine someone to compare.


End file.
